S A R A

Ch 5

5

What was he doing here, right now? How did he know where I lived? Then I remembered I gave him my address when he almost took me home last night.

Last night...

Too late, Before I could even register what happened, he saw me, and his hand shot up in a wave with a lazy smile on his face.

I jerked back to stand behind the corner. I couldn't just ignore him now that he saw me. I looked down at my chest, definitely very braless. And what about my hair? Did I brush it? Okay no, I can do this, even though at the moment I just felt like melting into the ground and disappearing. I couldn't falter any longer, I had to take action before Haden thought I was a complete freak.

I decided I could do this. I went to the door, opened it a bit and stuck my head out.

"Hey," I said, with my voice going a few octaves to high at the end. Shit, I was nervous. He managed to contain himself well enough, though.

"And how are you today?" he asked, smiling. As if nothing went wrong yesterday.

I just smiled raised my eyebrows and: "Fine, just fine. Thanks, um, do you need anything?"

"Oh yea, I just" Haden stepped to the side to reveal my guitar in the guitar case behind him.

My guitar! How could I forget. In the midst of last night's events, it totally slipped my mind. I never forget about my guitar. "Listen, I'm sorry about last night, you know, if I came off too strong," he said all of a sudden then.

"No, no don't worry about it, I'm sorry, I had to run you know it's..." oh no this was getting awkward. "Anyways," With me still in an awkward-behind the door- position I just smiled and tried to extend my hand.

Oh, what the hell, I looked stupid enough already. I moved my hair to the front and stepped out, trying not to look too awkward. Honestly, I didn't care at this point, I just wanted my guitar and this whole mortifying episode to end. Then I realized I should have probably invited him inside. But this point I didn't even know what I was supposed to do.

Haden definitely smirked when he saw that I was still wearing my sleeping clothes and I definitely blushed.

"Hey, um, thanks for the guitar! That was thoughtful. I definitely wouldn't wanna lose it...you know how it is." Talking too much.

I started scanning the streets. I was not stupid; I knew that he was in every tabloid in the city.

"Hey, don't worry," he clearly noticed. This was clearly getting embarrassing. "I have my ways, there's no paps, I wouldn't wanna risk them getting here anyway, trust me you don't wanna deal with them."

"Oh, okay." I said.

He smiled warmly and then we made eye contact, and we looked into each other's eyes a little too long to just be friends. It was seconds but it felt like hours, I broke it first, regrettably.

"Well, I guess I'd better go, don't want them finding me, right?" He said, and for the first time it seemed like he was the one unsure of what to do.

Oh no, he really was leaving. Wasn't this what I wanted? I didn't know. There were too many emotions that I couldn't put into words at that point. I should've invited him in earlier. Now he's leaving! I almost said something but instead I stood there awkwardly.

"Um, okay. Thanks again for the guitar."

He turned around started walking, paused for a moment, turned his head to the side and I held my breath, but then he continued. He got into his car, no motorcycle this time.

I ran back inside, and I felt like a fool. A complete fool.

Chances! Chances were being given to me and I wasn't taking them. This, this is exactly why I had not had a boyfriend. How is it that I felt so much, and I wrote so many love songs, but I still guarded my heart even when I thought that I didn't. I looked through the window as he drove away, and I told myself to capture this moment. It was surreal and beautiful. I met a rockstar purely by chance and the next morning he was on my front porch.